au contraire

yesterday, we bought cat carriers, so that we can quickly evacuate the felines (and the iguana) in case a wildfire forces us to leave the house.

so far one wildfire in Rocky Mountain National Park (which is virtually our backyard) on Mummy Ridge, but it burned less than an acre before its extinguishment.

there's also hear-tell of another fire in Meeker, which is closeby.


contrarily, we're planning on doing a nice mushroom foray today...
we had some good rainshowers earlier in the week, and we'd like to go find out if there are any fruiting bodies out there anywhere.

it's astonishing how quickly the ground becomes arid and dead seeming after a decent precipitation.

bust

our foray was a bust.

we found one solitary cap, which i haven't identified yet, i think it's of the Tricholomataceae...

the ground seems as if it hasn't had rain in years.

i have short hair

i am a boy with short hair.

hmm.

i'm still trying that bit of fact on for size.

my new haircut looks like a cross between Adolf Hitler and Moe Howard, with a bit of Christopher Walken (as shocked mad scientist) and 80's new-wave homo thrown in for good measure.

it looks good.

i look much, MUCH younger with the new hair.

i always thought that cutting my hair off (i've had long hair since i was just a boy) would have to involve some sort of weird ritual, full of meaning. it had to mean something to have my hair cut off. i had to be a different person than i was beforehand.

well, i am a different person.
i've become an adult in the last year, i think.
i had to go through a trial by fire to get here,
but i am no longer who i was before.